Philadelphia Stumble in Texas & Mahomes Saves Kansas City – Best Moments from NFL Week 12
Week 12 provided an epic Dallas Cowboys rally, or perhaps an epic Eagles collapse?
Postseason Patrick Mahomes arrived to salvage the Chiefs' campaign as the Bears keep to surprise while they extend their winning streak.
Did Sanders perform enough on his first NFL outing to earn the full-time role in Ohio?
Let's take a look at the pick of the week in the league.
Analysis – Dallas Rally or Eagles Collapse?
The Cowboys found themselves trailing badly at twenty-one to zero down against the defending championship winners, so how on earth did they engineer their joint-best recovery ever?
The emotions of a initial home fixture after Marshawn Kneeland untimely passing could have been a factor, but technically it was a combination of Dak Prescott determination and a defence that pounced on uncommon errors by the Eagles.
Dak eclipsed Tony Romo marks for passing yards (now 34,378) and clutch drives (25) with an all-action display – his plunging touchdown embodying his all-action display.
Philly squandered a lead of twenty-one points or more for the first time since nineteen ninety-nine, with only their second game with multiple giveaways this year – the other being a bad NFC East defeat at the Giants.
In addition to fourteen infractions for 96 yards, the attacking malaise that affected Hurts after what – for him – was an fast start was huge. He'd only thrown for 200-plus yards in 4 games before Sunday, he had over 150 in the opening two quarters alone in Dallas.
However from the time Philadelphia went 21-0 up their offence fell apart spectacularly – with four consecutive punts, a missed three-point attempt and then a turnover giving chance after opportunity to the Dallas.
Philadelphia’s defence is excellent, it truly is, but an offence that's not surpassed twenty-one points in five of 7 games (3 losses) is now a huge concern, because the pieces are all there but it's simply not clicking.
Nick Sirianni game is all about winning the big moments, the defence maintains them in it and what offence there is manages barely sufficient – if it cannot even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is failing, there may be problems ahead.
In Focus – Playoff Patrick Appears Early to Rescue Kansas City
It wasn’t as dramatic, but Kansas City's eleven-point recovery in the fourth quarter versus a powerful Colts squad was very impressive – and could have just saved their season.
How big was it? Well, the league’s advanced analytics now give the Kansas City a fifty-eight percent chance of reaching the postseason, when a loss on the weekend would have dropped that figure to twenty-eight percent.
No wonder the playoff form of Mahomes turned up, throwing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half alone and leading three point-scoring drives in their last four possessions to seal it in overtime.
A few big passes and daring scrambles are typical for Mahomes in the postseason, but right now the Kansas City are in post-season form – at six and five and only 10th in the conference standings.
That was more like the former Kansas City though, with a first close win of the year after dropping five already – they secured 11 of them last year so, if that confidence comes back, this Chiefs Kingdom might not be finished so soon.
Talking Point – Are Chicago Be Kings of the Division?
You just can't ignore the Chicago Bears now. A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, without Aaron Rodgers, kept them first of the division and at 8-3 – sharing the identical record as the Eagles.
They look threatening on both sides of the ball, with a defence that leads the NFL in interceptions and overall turnovers and, in Williams, a emerging quarterback now accustomed to winning close games.
He may at times be shaky, surrendering a score after a fumble in his own goal area – but he additionally passed for three touchdowns and, with already 5 fourth-quarter comebacks this year, he understands how to finish the game.
Green Bay are in hot chase in the division after overpowering the Vikings and Detroit are right there after overcoming the Giants in overtime with a huge game from Gibbs.
Chicago are strangely the most consistent with eight wins in 9, but as they travel to the Super Bowl champs on the holiday we'll see exactly how strong they truly are.
Look Ahead – Exciting Thanksgiving in Prospect
This looks among the most exciting Thanksgiving line-ups for years, with each game loaded with playoff consequences.
Detroit welcome the Packers in the traditional curtain-raiser in Michigan, before a unusual trip back to Texas for the Chiefs, who began life as the Dallas Texans way back in the 1960s before relocating to Missouri.
The weekend’s comeback teams are each clinging to postseason hopes but have minimal margin for error – so this will have a playoff atmosphere.
What about the Ravens? An ugly victory over the New York in fact has them leading of the AFC North after starting 1-5 and appearing finished.
Thanksgiving and Shopping Day Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, 27 November: Packers @ Detroit Lions (6:00 PM)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Chiefs @ Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, 28 November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (1:20 AM)
- Friday, 28 November: Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (20:00)
Will Shedeur Sanders Retain His Starting Role?
Browns head coach Stefanski batted away inquiries on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed sufficiently in his debut NFL start to keep the first-team job when Gabriel comes back.
But the question will continue to be asked as Sanders became the first Browns signal-caller to secure his debut league start since Eric Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with 17 other first-year signal callers failing to do so afterward.
It came only the Raiders, and with the help of an almost feral Browns defense recording 10 tackles, but the Browns’ offence needs a director, a presence to inspire confidence.
Moreover self-belief is something not missing in Sanders, who informed a network {